This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. The Biological Specimens and Genetics (BSG) Core provides key services necessary to facilitate collaborative investigations between geneticists, statisticians, epidemiologists, psychologists, and community leaders that are aimed at understanding the interaction of obesity-related risk factors in Yup'ik Eskimos. Additionally, the BSG core provides valuable community, and state-wide services related to the ethical conduct of culturally respectful genetic studies in rural Alaska Native communities. The BSG Core accomplishes these objectives by advising new investigators on the role of heredity in disease etiology, and on the ascertainment of familial relationships using methods that maximize the privacy of participating and non-participating community members. The BSG Core ensures that biological samples are processed to retain sample integrity and stored in a secure facility, and maintains a specimen database to manage and track samples shipped to collaborating laboratories. In addition, the BSG Core provides genotyping expertise to new investigators and students. The design of the BSG Core is based on our experiences and use of the Genetics Core in phase I of the CANHR study, and on the stated health priorities of our community partners and Tribal Elders.